Shoe counter



Apl 6,1948' J. s. KAMBQRlAN 2,438,920

SHOE COUNTER Original Filed Sept. 22, 1945 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 l'iED STATES PATENT OFFICE Griginal application September 22, 1943, Serial No. 503,338. Divided and this application November 1, 1945, Serial No. 626,110

3 Claims. l

This invention pertains to the manufacture of footwear and relates more especially to an improved counter for shoes, and to a step product useful in the manufacture vof such a counter, the present application being a division of my copending application Serial'No. 503,338, led September 2291943, upon which issued my Patent No. 2,393,989 on February 5, 1946. i

In order to afford proper support for the foot, and to preserve the initial lasted shape and appearance of a shoe, it is usual to make the shank and heel portion of a shoe bottom structure as stiff as possible, commonly by the employment of a shank piece (often reinforced with metal) and by the use ci a stiff, moulded counter within the heel portion of the upper, the counterhaving a bottom iiange which underlies and is secured, as by tacking, to the rear end portion of the insole or equivalent element of the shoe bottom. However, the counter flange is customarily oi small width and only borders the rear portion oi the sole member so that the counter contributes little to the proper anchorage for the heel; the counter and shank piece must be applied separately, involving a plurality of operations; the counter and shank piece 'do not mutually support each other; and in making shoes of the force-lasted type, in particular, the necessity for counter lasting and tasking substantially lessens the economies normally a concomitant of forcelasting.

The present invention has for its principal objects the provision of a novel counter for shoes, particularly useful in shoes of the force-lasted type, and by means of which a smooth heel seat and adequate rigidity of shank and counter are obtainable without resort to counter lasting. A further object is to provide an improved stage product useful in the making of said counter. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a partially completed shoe embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a combined counter and shank blank used in making the shoe of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined counter and shank made from the blank of Fig. 2 as it appears after moulding.

Referring to the drawings the numeral l (Fig. 1) designates the outer element of a shoe upper whose lower margin has been secured to an insole or sock lining and which, together with said insole or sock lining, is mounted on a last L. The

2l Y shoe as illustrated in Fig. l also comprises a moulded counter which is integral with a shank piece. An appropriate blank for forming such a combined shank piece and counter is illustrated in Fig. 2. This blank may be of any desirable counter-forming material, for example leather or indurated fiber in sheet form. This blank is `shaped to provide a central portion fix shaped more or less like the conventional shoe shank piece having the forward edge |21 and the rear end Nix, but being provided with the integral rearwardly projecting tab liY. Counterforming side walls or wings 1x are integrally joined to the side edges of the central piece 3X; These counter-forming side walls or wings have portions 'im which project rearwardly beyond the tab my. Preferably these side walls or wings have beveled edges` 20V and preferably the forward end of the central portion 9X is likewise beveled. This blank is moulded by means of apparatus generally similar to that used in moulding shoe counters so as to provide a combined counter and shank -piece of Fig. 3, in which the side Walls or wing members 'iX are arranged to stand substantially vertically with their rear extensions 'lm overlapping to form a double thickness rear wall for the counter and with the tab lily overlapping this rear'wall at its junction with the part 9X. This combined counter and shank piece is assembled with the upper at an appropriate point in the process of making the shoe. Usually it is introduced into the upper before the last is introduced and if the upper has a lining it is introduced between this lining and the outer element I of the upper. The bottom or shank portion of the combined shank and counter is cemented to the under surface of the insoleA or sock lining. Subsequent steps in the completion of the shoe may be as follows, assuming the shoe to be of the California type. A middle sole is cemented to the forepart portion of the sock lining. This middle sole may consist only of a thick platform I1 of felt or the like, or it may comprise a thinner part which is directly attached to the sock lining and to which, in turn, the felt platform is secured. If such a thin sole member be used it may be desirable to make its toe and heel ends of stiff material and the ball portion of flexible material. This thin sole member may or may not extend from toe to heel. If it extend to the heel it is arranged to underlie the part 9x of the combined counter and shank. The cushioning layer or platform Il may be coextensive with the middle sole or may itself constitute the middle sole. If the middle sole terminate at the forward end oi' the shank then, as above suggested, the shank portion of the combined counter and shank is secured directly to the sock lining. The lasting margin or wrapper 5 is wiped-in over the middle sole and over the shank piece. An outer sole and heel are then applied in the usual manner.

If desired, an elongate metal shank stiifener 2| may be associated with the combined counter and shank. This stiiiener is shown as comprisn ing a at plate-like portion 22 at one of its ends,

which is designed to underlie the shoe heel. Pref erably this plate-like portion or head has integral prongs 22a which extend through the shoe bottom structure and which are clenched over at the upper surface of the insole or sock lining The head 22 may have an aperture 23 for the reception of a heel-attaching fastener.

While a desirable embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of example it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of all equivalents falling within the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. A counter for a. shoe comprising a single .piece of sheet material shaped to conform to the contour of the rear portion of the shoe which is to be'made, said counter having side walls substantially coextensive with the quarter portions of said shoe, the rear ends of said side walls terminating in overlapping flaps which collectively form a double thickness rear wall for the counter, and a continuous bottom wall integral with each side wall and coextensive with the heel and shank portions of said shoe.

2. That stage product in the manufacture of shoes which consists of a combined counter and shank blank, said blank having a medial shank portion provided with a tab atl its rear end and counter-forming wings integrally joined toits I 4 opposite lateral edges, the medial portion extending forwardly beyond the wing portions, the free rear ends of the wing portions being designed to overlap in the completed structure and the tab being designed to extend upwardly and overlap the joint between the rear end of the medial portion and the overlapping portions of the counter wings. f

3. A combined counter and shank for use in a shoe, said combined counter and shank comprising a medial shank portion shaped substantially like a conventional shank piece but having an integral tab at its heel end and wings integrally f joined to the respective side edges of the shank REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 278,302 Wood May 22, 1883 1,446,034 Conion Feb. 20, 1923 1,469,853 Stein et al'. Oct. 9, 1923 2,083,659 Nutt June 15, 1937 2,203,157 Klaus .June 4, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Aug. 28, 1897 

